My weekend turns out to be great, although I spent more of my days at home and working for my stories. It is already June and the days are starting to be gloomier (goodbye summer love!) as the monsoon season starts to kick-in.

So I spent my Friday night watching movie while enjoying my vino and a cupcake. I watched this American movie, that is filmed in Verona, Italy and I couldn’t help but feel so fantastic and dreamy.

You see, Italy is very close to my heart. Aside from loving Italian home foods since at early age (thanks to my Dad) and for constantly watching travel movies and religiously reading books about it, to the point of learning their language. I find Italy the most romantic place on Earth (of course aside from my country Philippines).

And adding to that passion for Italy also came my Amore, which makes everything oh so complete.
So I was so thrilled when I got an invitation from Marco Polo Ortigas Manila, to join them for a master cooking demo with their guest, Chef Andrea Delzanno from Marco Polo Hong Kong.

Chef Andrea’s recipes are something that he proud of. She shared us some of the traditional recipe that passed on many generations of his family. Born and raised in Piedmont, Italy, Chef Andrea has been working on truffles and the best Italian wines since he was kid. He started training with chefs who have headed kitchens of Michelin-starred restaurants at a very young age of 20, from Italy, to New York, all the way to Asia. He has brought new milestones in the restaurants he has worked with as he garners prestigious awards, both local and international. Moving in Marco Polo Hong Kong last 2015, he has shared his trademark formula for creatively cooking with his favourite ingredients of porcini mushrooms, red prawn, tomatoes, fresh herbs, and truffles.

Procedure:
1. Slice the onion and cook with olive oil.
2. Add the fresh tomato, canned tomato, bread, cream and water.
3. Add seasoning and cook for about one hour.
4. Process the soup in a blender.
5. Make the garlic bread by slicing the baguette and adding the garlic, butter and parmigiana cheese, then baking for about three minutes in a hot oven (about 200 degrees).

Procedure:
1. Cook pasta in boiling salted water for about 8-minutes then drain.
2. Heat the oil and add the garlic, chili and clams.
3. Add the white wine and cover the pan and steam until the clams fully open.
4. Add the pasta and toss together, letting the sauce reduce.

5. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Place in the dish and sprinkle with the chopped parsley.

Procedure:
1. Whisk the egg whites and reserve.
2. Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar and the mascarpone cheese.
3. Slowly fold in the egg whites to the mascarpone mixture.

4. Soak the ladies fingers with the espresso and layer them in a glass together with the tiramisu cream.
5. Place in the fridge for a few hours.
6. Sprinkle with cocoa powder just before serving.

And after witnessing Chef’s flair, we are headed to Cucina for a sumptuous lunch prepared by Chef Andrea’s culinary team. I will share it on my separate post, Bellas!

Cooking is a way of life in Italy, that’s why it is a great experience to visit restaurants owned by Italian Chef, or even by Italian Moms. Even my Amore is raving about his Momma’s risotto which I think I should learn to prepare it soon, or maybe ask some advice from my in-laws.

Molto Grazie Marco Polo Ortigas Manila, and Chef Andrea for this wonderful experience. I felt more attached to the Italian culture and I can’t wait to taste more of its amazing and rich epicurean culture.

I am from the Mediterranean and I love it when I see people show our cooking the way it is. It is down to excellent ingredients and simple cooking. It really is not complicated at all. This really made me smile, thank you for sharing.

This master cooking demo with Chef Andrea Delzanno had to be quite interesting. I would love to go to one some day. I grow up in with an Italian grandmother so I love Italian foods. Thanks for sharing your experience.

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